Recent cuts by city planners spelled out jobs lost to city assistance employees, bus drivers, and personnel. The trickle-down reducing costs in city budgets means staff positions lost were ones that ensure that the residents of Vancouver receive public services and means reductions specifically for disabled/senior citizens.
These services are needed at the Luepke Center, managing programs and services, assisting with 911 calls, yet Parks and Recreation lost 17 positions. Yet the numbers crunchers found half a million dollars to finance headhunters seeking out the fittest and finest to enhance our police force with five-digit salaries. Our reasoning has gone so far out of focus it’s astounding.
Why not employ three to four police from our own local police sciences training programs instead? One national position would finance several positions that were cut.
While cuts are taking place in city government, my taxes, both state and property, were not reduced. Seems to me that money accumulated somewhere to pay an out-of-balance payroll. Isn’t it time city planners had some accountability directed toward the source of all this expense? We’ve become a city rampant with lopsided budgets leaving our most vulnerable citizens with no safety net.
